CRACKING UP WITH RAYMOND HERRERA OF FEAR FACTORY

We were offered a phone interview with FEAR FACTORY drummer Raymond Herrerra about a month ago, and conveniently, so were our pals at Paragon Music Magazine. Rather than do two interviews, we just slid our questions in with theirs for what turned out to be one of the funnier interviews we have ever posted.

Paragon Rob: You guys are currently on tour in support of Archetype. A lot of bands love touring and a lot of bands hate it, but how does the road treat FEAR FACTORY?

Raymond Herrera: Well, I think it’s good. I don’t mind touring. It’s not my favorite thing to do. Out of all the jobs that we’ve got being in a band: writing, recording, all that stuff, touring is definitely at the bottom of my list, but I understand that it’s something that we have to do. But it’s good, it’s a lot of fun out here. It’s not that bad at all.

PR: Do you consider yourselves a performing band, or r u more of a studio band?

RH: I think we’re good at both. We’re really good in the studio and we’re really good live. It’s a whole different thing. Live, you’re kind of feeding off the crowd, and energizing the crowd, and that translates into how you’re playing that night or whatever. In the studio, it’s a whole different thing. In the studio, it’s all about perfection than anything else, and the right mood and the right take and all that stuff. We go off live, but we’re very tight, it’s still quality. That’s very important to us.

PR: You’ve been in this business for a long time, but do you still ever get even the least bit nervous when it comes to doing press, like interviews, and performances? Even some of the calmest performers have suddenly been overcome by the shakes seconds before a show, and usually it’s something they do day in and day out, does that ever happen to you guys?

RH: I actually don’t. I did maybe the first couple years. I used to get really nervous and stuff, but I really don’t now. I enjoy playing the drums, so it’s like the only real thing I get to do all day long, it’s like the one hour that I’m actually working, ::laughs:: you know what I mean? I don’t really get nervous, I just enjoy doing it.

PR: What do you think of those over zealous kids who somehow are able to get past the security guards and jump up onstage? Ever feel like throwing your drumstick at them?

RH: ::Laughs:: No because I remember being that age too and wanting to get on stage and jump, so I can’t really be pissed off about it or bummed out about it.

PR: Did you ever worry about your equipment getting trashed if they get out of hand?

RH: Well, if they were to trash the equipment, we’d have to fucken do a quick lynching on them ::laughs:: It’s cool though, it’s all good, I mean fans aren’t trying to hurt what you’re doing, they’re just trying to express their feelings and that’s just the way that young people express their feelings.


Looking out at the crowd on the '04 Jager tour from behind Raymond's kit

PR: Yeah, they’re trying to be a part of it.

RH: Yeah, exactly, they’re trying to be a part of the whole thing, so to each their own I guess. You know, some chicks like to show their tits and that’s their appreciation, right? Nothing wrong with that ::laughs::

PR: You are a big video game fan, have there been any game addictions that have gotten in the way of productivity though? Occasionally I find blowing up Nazis in Return To Castle Wolfenstein takes away from my time to write questions for interviews and I was wondering if games got in your way the way they do mine.

RH: There’s definitely a happy medium there. I mean, if I wanted to, I could just sit in front of the TV and play video games for like a week straight and not get anything done, but I know I’ve got a lot of stuff to do, so what I usually do is, I save the games for after I’m done with my work, and then I’m cool to play for however long I wanna play. But yeah, it can definitely be really time-consuming. It’s very counter-productive, but I only do it because I enjoy doing it. It’s not because I don’t have anything else better to do. I’ve been addicted since the age of like 10, so that’s like my little vice. That’s not really a bad vice, compared to a lot of my friends. Some of their vices are much more fucken brutal than what I do. ::laughs:: Christian’s like, ‘You trying to say something? What are you trying to say?’ ::laughs::

PR: ::Laughs:: Who’s got the powder under their nose?

RH: Uhh, nobody right now! ::laughs:: I can’t do it either. I don’t know what would happen to me if I were to do something. I’m so like non-drug, it’s ridiculous. I really don’t do anything. I don’t drink or smoke at all, so it’s like I don’t know what would happen to me if I did a line a coke, dude, I don’t know.

PR: Tour catering must suck most of the time, right?

RH: Well, usually it does, but that’s actually a really important part of the tour for me. Like if the food is not good on tour, that’s the difference between a good thing and a bad thing.

PR: Well, you’re Mexican, so you have a pretty strong stomach right?

Yeah, I can eat all kinds of stuff ::laughs::

PR: So what do you guys do when u eat the catering they give u on tour and it doesn't agree with your stomach, and you find yourself on the crapper every ten minutes before a show?

RH: Well, I guess I’d be on the crapper 10 minutes before the show and they have to deal with it I guess. I haven’t been in that situation yet. I usually don’t really eat like anywhere within 3 hours of the show time. Like tonight we’re going on at 8:30, so I won’t eat anything after 5:30, 5:00.

PR: OK, you’re going to play it safe.

RH: Yeah, I mean, that’s how I do it. You know, actually, a couple times on the SEPULTURA tour, I wasn’t really schooled on touring so I ate a lot like an hour before a show and it fucked me up. I felt really sluggish. You know when you’re full and you’re trying to exercise? It doesn’t work.

PR: Speaking of health related discomforts, I’m sure you get headaches like every other person, how do you deal with a head splitting migraine right before a show?

RH: I never get headaches, dude, never. I can’t remember the last time I got a headache.

PR: Being behind the drum kit a few times myself, I know that drums and headaches DO NOT go well together, how do you deal with a situation like that?

RH: Yeah, if I had a headache on the drums, that would not be good. I got a fever on a drum kit. Fever’s actually not too bad because you pretty much sweat it out. Especially playing the shit I play, you know? ::laughs::


Rockin' out and thinkin' 'bout an awesome burger

PR: On your website, you guys have a link to the official ZAKK WYLDE website, is Zakk a close friend of the band?

RH: Yeah actually, Christian’s good friends with him. (Rob from Paragon pleasures himself while listening to Black Label Society

PR: Now that Dino is out of the picture, how much of a difference was there when Christian picked up the seven string and took the reins for guitar? I’ve heard the album and I have to be honest, to me, I can’t even tell that Dino isn’t there, but what was it like for the band to write an album without him?

RH: ::Laughs:: A lot of people can’t tell! I understand. I mean, I worked with the guy for 12 years, so I know the differences more than anybody else. And the bottom line is that Christian is faster, tighter, he’s more varied, he’s got different styles, it’s not just one style, and I noticed it right off the bat. It’s really easy to work with and obviously, the record is the proof that everything’s fine.

PR: You and Dino were in BRUJERIA together right?

RH: Yeah, I’m no longer in that band.

PR: Has his parting ways with Fear Factory affected your relationship with him regarding Brujeria?

RH: Well, there was actually a personal fallout between me and him, and that actually had nothing to do with the breakup, it had nothing to do with the band, just personal stuff. So I have nothing to do with him anymore. I’m not in Brujeria, I’m not in Asesino, I’m not in any of that stuff. I no longer have anything to do with him. I don’t know what’s going on. I heard a few things going on over there, and that’s cool, you know hopefully they’ll be putting out more records and stuff because Brujeria stuff’s really good. I’m a big fan of Brujeria and I was with Brujeria for a long time. .

PR: Your musical taste is very broad; in fact, some of your favorite bands range from The POLICE to CARCASS, from NAPALM DEATH to U2. Obviously diversity is a good thing, especially when music is your business.

RH: ::Laughs:: That’s very true!

PR: How many times do you come up with a drumbeat or a song idea because you were inspired by your lighter taste?

RH: All the time man, all the time. On the earlier records, like Soul Of A New Machine and Demanufacture, there were a lot of off-the-wall influences that you would never ever relate. They were big influences to me when we were doing those records. The main reason why I started listening to so many different types of music was because I worked at a record store. And when you work at a record store, I was really young, you know, and you start to take stuff home and listen to stuff that you would never ever go out and buy. Like I’d never go out and spend $10, $12 on some jazz record. But when you work at a record store, you could take 4 or 5 CDs home every night, listen to different stuff, you start to broaden your horizons a lot and that’s when I really started listening to all kinds of stuff. I originally started playing drums because of metal. There are a few bands that made me wanna start playing drums, and once I got down what I wanted to learn, then I kind of started to take little bits and pieces from other bands, everything from like The Smiths to U2, you know, everything, Dead Kennedys, just everything out there you know? And I just kind of turned it into like my rendition of all these bands that I love. That’s just kind of the way I did it. That’s just like the evolution of music. You got drummers like Joey from Slipknot. He looks at me like, ‘Fuck, you know, you really changed the way I drum,’ and this and that. That’s what it’s all about. Because now there’s going to be someone who’s younger than Joey or myself and is going to look at the way I play and the way Joey plays and this new kid’s going to step it up to the next level. That’s what it’s all about.

PR: Christian and Burton have wide music tastes too.

RH: Yeah, Burton listens to a lot of different stuff, so does Christian. That was one of the cool things when we first started this band. Other bands that I had kind of jammed on, everybody listened to the same shit. It was Cannibal Corpse, Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction, that’s it. Then it’s like, okay, well, I started working with Dino and I started working with Burt. And Burt likes Nick Cave and he likes The CURE and he likes all these other bands, and the same thing with Dino. Dino was into Ministry and DEAD KENNEDYS and all this other shit. So that kind of worked. It kind of created this blend of all these different kinds of influences, and it shows on the record. Because when we first started this band, there was a lot of kind of new ideals, you know? It’s like, ‘Okay, we’re not going to have any guitar solos, we’re going to have keyboards, we’re going to have a singer that sings and screams.’ We had all these ideals that nobody was doing back in the day, not the way we were. And we wanted to be industrial, but we didn’t want to have a drum machine. So the next best thing was for me to maybe try to emulate maybe a drum machine, but still have the feel of a drummer. Back in the day, they didn’t really have drum machines that are advanced as they are now. Nowadays, I could program a beat on a drum machine and you wouldn’t know whether it’s real or not. But back in the day, it was so obvious, and it was just really bland. Drum machines were always really bland back in the day, just really straightforward, not too much going on. I could program beats that you would not know if I’m really playing them or not. That’s cool, it just kind of brings it closer to human, brings kind of a human touch to an electronic element.

Steve C: When you guys used to play outdoor venues in warmer climates, on a number of occasions, Dino could be seen removing his shirt, and playing topless on stage. 

RH: ::Laughs:: Oh my God, I should put you on speaker right now, that was pretty funny! Yeah, there were a couple occasions where Dino would play without his shirt, and luckily I play drums so I wasn’t really looking at him dead-on. ::laughs:: We did do a few shows where it was so fucken hot, it was just not right. (I'm stunned that no one asks these guys about Dino's adventures in shirtless land before...what a great reaction!)

SC: While this is relatively commonplace for a man of slight stature, very few hefty men have ever embraced the shirtless playing.  Was there ever a time where you felt like saying (or did say) “Hey Dino, cover up dude… we’re all getting a little grossed out”

RH: ::Laughs:: Oh man, yea there were a few times when I wanted to say something to him, but I didn’t because, I dunno, you know, people that are fat are probably really sensitive about it and you know you can’t really [say], ‘Put a fucken shirt on for Christ sake!’ There were a few times when I wanted to say that but I didn’t and you know, whatever, it is what it is and you kind of just deal with it. I just closed my eyes. ::laughs:: (You should have said something; you know, as a public service for your fans.)

PR: Yeah, you’ve got the drums in the way, so you luck out there.

RH: Yeah, exactly, so it’s all good. ::laughs:: That’s pretty funny, man.

SC: You have said in past interviews that you don’t mind people downloading music, and that artists should compensate by delivering a better product and better packaging.  Considering the fact that many kids downloading music online can’t tell the difference between CD-quality audio, and a 128 kb-encoded MP3, what incentive is there for bands to spend more time (and money) creating a better product?

RH: Well, here’s the thing. I mean, digital has created a lot of ignorance, right? I mean, you’ve got the whole music thing. MP3’s sound nowhere near as good as the actual CD. And most kids don’t even know. Same thing with digital pictures. Digital pictures are nowhere near as good as actual pictures, like taking an actual picture, you know what I mean? And it has created a lot of ignorance and it is almost kind of idiotic for us to spend 2, 3, 400,000 dollars on a fucken record when at the end of the day a kid’s going to download a fucken MP3. Like what’s the fucken point? I don’t really know what’s going to happen in the future, and whether I say that it’s cool for people or not, it’s not really going to change the fact that people are going to download anyway. They’re going to do it one way or another. The only thing we can do, as I said before, is just create better packaging, just a better booklet, better imagery, put a DVD in there, put some kind of movie in there, something interactive, something like that. Make a better price, all of those things. I don’t see there being an end to this whole downloading thing anytime soon. That’s fine, that’s just another thing we gotta deal with. Being a musician, you gotta deal with a lot of things, and this is just another thing to add to the shelf.

SC: Considering how drastically the music business has changed over the past ten years, and all of the record company consolidation, and rock radio ignoring hard rock and metal, if you had to start from scratch ALL over again with a new band, would you?  Or is it time to learn a trade?

RH: No, I probably would, but it’s just one of those things that it’s gotten really hard nowadays. If anything, the downloading thing and the file sharing and all that, it’s helped bands that are nothing because you now get to be heard by people that generally would not go out and buy your CD or you don’t even have a CD out already. I don’t know, I wouldn’t go as far as to say I would change my trade or anything, but I just think that at the end of the day you just gotta write really good songs and you gotta do even better than what you’ve written before. It’s competition. I don’t know, I think it still comes out of the music. If the music’s really good, and it’s strong and you got catchy songs, then it’s all good.

SC: Which fans in which states/countries are the most devoted, die-hard, craziest bunch of knuckleheaded FF fans?

RH: Maybe Spain. I dunno, it’s kinda hard to say.

SC: How about the lamest?

RH: Oh I dunno dude. Good question. Maybe Arkansas or something, I dunno. Hard to say. (Really? You'd think that the southern hillbillies would dig what these guys are doing...)

SC: OK, now which fans in which states/countries could you do without playing in front of for a while?

RH: That’s hard to say. We’ve had really bad shows in big cities, but then you come back and it’s fucken raging. I think it’s more the show, or the way people feel at the time, I dunno. You can’t really pinpoint one city and say, ‘It’s always gonna be a bad show here.’ That’s just not really possible.

SC: You’re on Liquid 8 Records now, a label that also distributes HALL & OATES, SMOKEY ROBINSON, and Christian music.  With such a mellow group of label mates, do you ever feel yourselves mellowing?  Any hope of a Fear Factory cover of “She’s Gone” (originally by Hall and Oates)?

RH: Nope. The fact that the other bands on the label are lighter have absolutely nothing to do with us, it has nothing to do with anybody else that’s on the label.


Man, I wonder if Smokey Robinson needs a new drummer...

PR: You don’t think you’ll ever feel pressure from the label to change your sound?

RH: It’s absolutely the other way around. The reason why we chose to go with Liquid 8 was because we have total control over what we want to do. We’re able to produce our own record, we could put whatever cover work we want on there, we could do whatever we want. We actually have more freedom now than we had before, so the label’s going to be the last people to tell us what we should do. They know that we’re in control of what we do, and that we’ve been doing this long enough for us to know what’s best for us. They leave it at that, so it’s actually worked out really well.

PR: That’s excellent.

RH: Yeah, it’s killer.

PR: Plugs….?

RH: Just information on Fear Factory stuff to make sure we covered all the bases. Archetype’s out now, “Cyberwaste.” Actually we’re doing MTV tonight at midnight, and that’s Headbangers Ball, and they’re gonna show the video “Cyberwaste” that they played a few times already. We’re coming back to the States in late July, into August we’ll be in the U.S. again touring, and we’re gonna be in Europe in June and July. So we’re gonna be busy touring around. ::laughs::

Check out the official FEAR FACTORY website: FearFactory.com

...and if you haven't checked out the new disc yet, go give a listen to Archetype.

...and of course, thanks so much to Rob and Lisa from Paragon Music Magazine for all their help in putting this badass piece together with us.